I loved this book! Friends to enemies to lovers through an adventure to find treasure.

I loved the sweet moments between Mal and Griff, and Alys was the perfect side character to accompany them.

The world building was great, though I would’ve loved to see more from this world, I feel like we saw different kinds of enemies but it would’ve been cool to see more of other kinds too!

Overall a very enjoyable read!

Friends to enemies to lovers team up to find closure and ancient hidden treasure— all in highly-rated homoromantic LOTR wrapper! I wanted so badly to love Our Rogue Fates.

Our antiheroes spend most of this novel traveling through a gloomy mire both literally and figuratively. It felt that, when we’re not reading about the gruesome new physical injuries they acquired around every corner, we are treated to vague off-screen references to the more metaphysical hurts they dealt one another in the past. The latter might have been interesting had it received the same treatment as the various infections, fevers, and flesh wounds.

The pacing was slow and, while they are indeed rogues, the main characters' mutual selfishness and shallow attraction became a bit tedious. I was tempted to DNF at around 30%, but I wanted to finish so that I could give it a fair chance and write the most honest review possible. This writing style of romance was sadly not for me, but someone else could certainly find it a better fit.

I am grateful to have received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book claims to be enemies to lovers, but I felt like the enemies portion was so incredibly forced. From the very beginning, all we read about is how Griff hates Mal and how much Mal hates Griff. Instead of trying to do some world building, the opening is just a repetition telling you how much both men hate each other. Then, despite their supposed hatred, all you hear is how much they still care for each other and how much they are trying to protect each other. I didn’t want to be told about their hatred. I wanted to be shown. But even so, it doesn’t even feel like they really hate each other. One good conversation would solve all these problems. My point of all that is, I don’t want to read an entire novel where the author is telling me the two main characters hate each other. Build a world for me. Create a plot, and have these forces aid that plot. Don’t spend have the book reminding me how much the characters hate each other when it doesn’t even seem like they really do.

Second of all, can we talk about how horrible Liam got treated? He’s an amazing partner, and Griffin treats him horribly. I think he deserved better.

This book had a lot of promise, but unfortunately, it fell extremely flat. I almost DNFed several times, but kept pushing. The characters have no depth to them. We’re told constantly how the characters are, which isn’t always reflected in how they act. There was no chemistry between the trio at all. The plot was all over the place. The world-building was extremely lazy. No time is spent developing a fantasy world. Instead, we get a D&D remix without any effort to actually establish the laws of the realm or describe the vast species that occupy the story. At one point, a wyvern pops up, without there ever being mention of them until it’s suddenly convenient in the story.

I was excited going into this book, but it was extremely painful for me, and I felt like a thorough edit would have done it some good.

Baffled by the marketing pitch for this novel. Lord of the Rings who? Words mean things! 'Like X meets Y' kind of blurbs are often unhelpful, but this one here made me actively wonder if in booktok era 'like LOTR' actually has come to mean "has elves and orcs in it"; I can't even confidently say what kind of LotR slash with serial numbers filed off can be. If anything, it reminds me of Alex Rowland's Taste of Gold and Iron most, which too drove me up the wall with how pointlessly dramatic it was as it unfolded at the backdrop of the most shoddily constructed, derivative fantasy setting. Add to that: an insane amount of convoluted descriptions of oneself and others, supplied from all POVs possible. Yes, I too think about how an unpleasant smell will intertwine with my golden locks, and assess the degree of chiseled my own jawline is, when I am the POV character.

DNF. A high-histrionics & misunderstandings kinda m/m romance with some window dressing (you too can have your D&D character wear kohl to the extend other people can smell it off him as he chops some logs in a sexually objectifiable manner and thinks about group blowjobs, just a week or so after a near-death stomach wound. If you want to.)

All opinions my own, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

★★★★★ I devoured this book and loved every minute

This was such a fun, emotional ride. Our Rogue Fates has everything I love in a fantasy: a rich, eerie setting (Rotrose Mire is basically its own character), a treasure hunt full of danger and magic, and two ex-best-friends with ridiculous chemistry trying not to kill each other—or fall back in love.

Griff and Mal are messy and complicated in the best way. Their banter made me laugh, their tension made me yell at the pages, and their slow-burn romance had me fully invested. I also really appreciated how the story explored grief, loyalty, and second chances without ever feeling heavy-handed.

Sarah Glenn Marsh’s writing is vivid and sharp, and the pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. I didn’t want it to end, and now I need everyone I know to read it so we can scream about it together.

If you’re into queer fantasy with heart, heat, and haunted swamps—this one’s a must.

I do love me a good fantasy story, especially throwing in that there’s a slow burn, but I couldn’t fully and 100% connect with the storyline or even the characters because it felt like certain things were missing or things were just glossed over and not properly explained.

I do however like the book, but it’s not one that would read again. I just couldn’t connect with the characters.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC

Our Rogue Fates has a cool premise and I liked the idea of a queer quest-style story, but the execution didn’t quite work for me.

A lot of the big character stuff happens off-page at the start, so I never felt fully connected to Griff and Mal. The writing also read a little younger than I expected, and the “Lord of the Rings meets D&D” pitch doesn’t really fit, it’s much more light, pop-fantasy romantasy than epic.

Alys was the standout for me, alas this one just didn’t land the way I hoped.

I genuinely thought I was going to like this. Not because of the lord of the rings marketing, but just because it seemed like something I would enjoy, but that was not the case.
I don't like DNFing books in general, much less ARCs, but I honestly am not invested at all. I will be upfront and say that I didn't get very far into Our Rogue Fates, so if it sounds interesting to you give it a chance, it might be a good for for you.
My main problems are: I don't feel connected to the characters, positively or otherwise, which is a thing I always look for in a book and the language for some reason bothered me, I guess I'm just not a fan of the author's writing style. Those are the two main reasons.
I still have a lot of time to finish it, so I might eventually try it again, but I'll put it down for now.

**PSA TO ANYONE WANTING TO READ THIS**
***BEWARE- DO NOT READ…unless 👀***

UNLESS, you’re ready to end up sad that the world building and environments laid out on page were so expansive, descriptive and detailed you can’t even *actually* be there…

UNLESS you’re ready to be jealous of the relationship Griff & Mal come into, from friends, to enemies, to “friends” to daresay *loversss* through thick and thin, and everything in between! No *Swamp 😉 will stop them!*

UNLESS you’re ready to be sad you don’t have a *Leo* to emotional support you!

UNLESS you’re ready to be sad you aren’t gentle parented by one of the MC’s.

UNLESS you’re ready to accept the fact Our Rogue Fates will be one of your top reads to release next year! So be there or be square, or I’ll send Gossamer after you! 🖤

And if you’re not ready, well buckle up anyways for the journey you’re about to experience!

In full seriousness I personally had such an immense time reading this book, and was my first book from Sarah that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I cannot wait for whatever the future holds for Our Rogue Fates, the world, and the characters!

DNF @55%.

I am so sad to say I didn’t love this book and had to DNF it. I read so much sapphic romance and realized I’ve never read an mlm romance, and I was excited by the premise of this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get over poor Liam and find myself to like Griff enough to move past it. Once I found myself rooting against the main couple, I knew I had to stop reading.

Thank you Alcove Press for the ARC.

Our Rogue Fates is a queer romantasy with a quest at its heart and a trio of complicated, lovable disasters at its center. Griff, Mal, and Alys are childhood friends turned reluctant allies, brought back together by a dangerous mission and a whole lot of unresolved trauma. The found family dynamic is rich and messy, and Alys (mom of three, emotional MVP) absolutely stole the show.

The romance between Griff and Mal is a slow-burn friends-to-enemies-to-lovers arc that’s equal parts angsty and tender. Griff starts off dating someone else, Mal’s still nursing old wounds, and the tension simmers until it finally boils over into something passionate, protective, and healing. I was invested.

The world-building leans more DnD than Lord of the Rings—think pop fantasy with a queer-normative society, morally gray politics, and a swamp that’s basically a metaphor for emotional repression. It’s immersive and fun, though the pacing and flow wobble in places. The writing isn’t always polished, but it gets the job done, especially when it comes to character depth and emotional beats.

If you’re looking for a high fantasy epic, this might feel a little light. But if you want a quest-style adventure with heart, humor, and a heavy dose of romance (plus a dog!), this one delivers.

I was so excited for this book, but this was an unfortunate DNF for me (about 40% in). I was not a fan of the writing style here, so many sentences were written in an unnecessarily convoluted way. I think another pass from an editor would have been all it needed. I also wasn't a huge fan of the relationship progression, which felt very fast. I love the idea of a LotR inspired romance, but this was a lot more jovial (?) and less hardcore fantasy. It felt more like a fun DnD setting. I do love the cover and think that this will find its audience, I'm just very sad that that audience wasn't with me!

In general, I enjoyed this book and the characters. However as a romance, I felt this wasn’t quite fleshed out. We went from the characters resenting, not trusting, and hating each other immediately to confessions of love. There was no real relationship development that brought these two characters back together after 10 years. Which made their relationship less believable especially when the original values of the characters were so different. When I read a romance I want tension and pining, and unfortunately this story didn’t really have that.

Ah, this story! There's a quest for treasure—and for love—and I fell into the pages, sneaking along with Griff and Mal and Alys because there's simply no resisting. This book gave me all the feels, and the depth of emotion and exploration of relationships—both those between the characters and with their own selves—shone like stars (even from the murky depths of the dangerous Mire).

Our Rogue Fates is one of my most anticipated books of 2026, so I'm both extremely thrilled and seriously honored to have been given a chance to read it early. Normally, when I get ARCs, I like to hold them until closer to the release date, but I was far too excited to wait any longer on this one. 

The story begins with Griffin being attacked and left for dead by a mysterious group of bandits. We soon learn that the attack was orchestrated by Mal, not knowing that the victim would be his ex-best friend. 

Griff, Mal, and Alys all grew up together, raised by Alys' parents. Several years ago, the three had a huge fight that splintered their relationship. Griffin, the son of a famous hero, has a strong moral code and strong opinions on the immoral jobs Mal takes. In the present, learning that his actions nearly killed Griff and fearing that his fellow bandits may try to finish the job, Mal makes a bargain with his shady employer: he'll venture into a treacherous swamp to retrieve a valuable artifact for the Shadow Queen. In exchange, he'll be able to leave his dangerous employment, and they'll agree to no longer target Griff. However, his destination just happens to be the same place where Alys' father, the man who raised the three friends, died years earlier. Brought back together by this perilous trek and wanting answers about what really happened to Alys' father, the trio set off on an epic and life-changing quest. 

I loved all three characters. Alys was an unexpected highlight of the book. She's a mom of three, and she loves her two best friends dearly. Mal and Griff are complicated men, each with strong opinions and feelings. All three characters undergo satisfying character development throughout the book, and their relationship as a group is a touching found family dynamic. 

The romance is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers journey. Griff is dating another man at the start of the story, but he's very aware that he has lingering feelings for Mal. Mal, however, is still very hurt and angry over their fight, and he's never considered a relationship with another man. Once they set off on their adventure, they're forced to think about what they truly want and how they actually feel. Their relationship is passionate and intense, but it also develops into a tender, protective, and healing one. 

The world-building, while clearly inspired by The Lord of the Rings, is original and intricate enough to stand on its own. The politics are also a little more complicated with more shades of grey. The world is queer normative with multiple LGBTQ+ relationships and characters, too! 

Our Rogue Fates is a fun and emotional queer romantasy. The three main characters have a great dynamic, and the romance between Mal and Griff had me fully invested. I'd recommend this most to readers who like books such as Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne and The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn.


My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 (4.5/5 stars) (I round up on sites that don't allow half stars)
Pages: 352 (Kindle Edition)
Tropes/Tags: Queer, Achillean, Romantasy, Quest/Adventure Fantasy, High Fantasy, Has A Dog, Found Family
Contains Depictions Of: On-page sex and violence, Injuries

I enjoyed this book and the enemies-to-lovers progression between Griff and Mal. I also loved Alys and her character development, and the setting was well-developed and immersive.

I really wanted to like this but at 30% it just wasn't doing it for me. Defiantly more of a DnD, or critical roll vibe than Lord of the Rings which might be part of the problem. I was in the mood for me high fantasy then pop fantasy. There also wasn't enough chemistry because the love interests. Too much about why they don't like each other now and not enough of why they used to like each other.

Loved this book! Though the flow was a little patchy at times, the author did an excellent job getting inside the head of her characters and really making the reader feel what the characters felt. Overall, a great read!

DNF 57%

I’m setting this one aside for now. It’s not the right book for me at the moment, but I might come back to it later when I’m in the right mood.

This is a pretty quick and easy romantasy read that is fun if you don't want anything too challenging. The characters were fun and unique and I liked how each of their stories played out.
The writing felt a little weak and unpolished but still easily readable.
A fun book if you're looking for a quest style fantasy with a heavy dose of fun romance and a smidgen of angst!